A new cohort of school district leaders have been welcomed into the SMU District Leadership Fellows program, a hybrid in-person and online leadership training program for school district superintendents and district leaders run by the Institute for Leadership Impact at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
The 2025-2026 cohort includes leaders from school districts across Texas, as well as from Arkansas, Alabama and California. School districts ranging in size from one thousand to sixty-seven thousand students are included.
Of the program, 2024-2025 participant Mrs. Dolloress Johnson, Executive Director of Human Resources at Arlington ISD, said, “The program’s emphasis on cultivating transformational leadership skills tailored to the unique challenges of K-12 education really resonated with me. I saw it as an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally while learning from others in the field.”
The District Leadership Fellows program is a strengths-based leadership development program that enhances the leadership abilities of established and emerging school district leaders through an intensive year-long cohort. Through collaboration with peers and recognized education experts, Fellows are empowered to solve hard problems in their districts, build their leadership skills, and develop lasting educational leadership networks. The program is hosted by the Institute for Leadership Impact in the Simmons School of Education & Human Development at SMU in Dallas, Texas.
Who’s in the 2025-2026 cohort?
School leaders in the upcoming cohort of the District Leadership Fellows program include:
- Dr. Angela Barton, Director of Curriculum & Assessment, Canton ISD
- Mrs. Brandi Braley, Director of Innovation, Legacy Preparatory
- Mrs. Mackenzie Casall, Executive Director of Student Support Services, Plano ISD
- Mrs. Laura Coaxum, Director of Professional Learning, Eanes ISD
- Mr. Brad Culver, Superintendent, Paris School District
- Dr. Anita de la Isla, Director of ESL/Bilingual, Coppell ISD
- Dr. Hildelisa Diaz, Early Learning Coordinator, Arlington ISD
- Dr. Terry Everitt, Assistant Superintendent of Operations, Henderson ISD
- Dr. Yueyue Fan, Director of Assessment and Accountability, Prosper ISD
- Dr. Renee Holley, Director of Special Education, Bessemer City Schools
- Ms. Kellye Levasseur, Coordinator of Professional Learning, Arlington ISD
- Dr. Claudia Morales, Elementary Schools Executive Director, Arlington ISD
- Dr. Gene Morrow Jr., Exec. Director of Student Support Services/Operations, DeSoto ISD
- Dr. Tina Nixon, Director of Human Resources Systems, Duncanville ISD
- Dr. Danielle Reynolds, Director of Curriculum & Instruction for Secondary, Arlington ISD
- Miss Kelsey Riley, Teacher Center Coordinator, Great Rivers ESC
- Ms. Deidra Rucker, Associate Director of Athletics, Frisco ISD
- Dr. Laura Sloan, Principal, Folsom Cordova USD
- Mrs. Shay Stavenhagen, Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, Arlington ISD
- Mrs. Haley Stelly, Director of Elementary School Leadership and Innovation, Prosper ISD
- Ms. Pamela Thomas, Director of Schools, Duncanville ISD
- Mrs. Tyra Walker, Executive Director of Postsecondary Outcomes, Counseling, and Responsive Services, Spring Branch ISD
- Dr. David Weems Sr., Chief Technology Officer, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD
- Dr. Annie Wolfe, Associate Superintendent for Academics, Spring Branch ISD
- Dr. Carrmilla Young, Principal, Spring Branch ISD
To learn more about Institute for Leadership Impact programs, visit our website, email us at leadershipimpact@smu.edu, and engage with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn